Friday, December 11, 2015

11 December 2006 - DC Says Adieu To Adu

On 11 December 2006, DC United parted ways with midfielder Freddy Adu, sending him to Real Salt Lake along with goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

Adu made history when he signed for United in 2004. He was only 14 at the time, making him the youngest American athlete in over a century to sign a contract with a professional team in any sport. He played in 31 matches in his first season, primarily as a substitute, and scored 5 goals as United won both the MLS Cup and the Supporters' Shield.

He eventually earning a regular starting position by 2006, the same year in which he earned his first cap for the US national team. But he publicly complained about his lack of playing time, which undoubtedly played a role in his eventual transfer to Salt Lake. In return for Adu and Rimando, United received goalkeeper Jay Nolly, a major player allocation (valued between $250,000 and $350,000), and a portion of Adu's future transfer revenue.

After just over 7 months in Salt Lake, Adu moved to Portugal to play for Benfica, who purchased his rights for $2 million. He later moved to a variety of clubs in Greece, Turkey, Brazil, Serbia, and Finland before returning to the US in 2015 to play for the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Rimando remains with Salt Lake where he won the 2009 MLS Cup was also named an MLS All-Star five times (2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015).